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MotherToBaby

Medications and More during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Exercise

Selected References:

  • ACOG Committee Opinion No 804. 2020. Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period. Obstet Gynecol; 135(4):e178-188.  
  • ACOG. 2022. Exercise During Pregnancy. Frequently asked questions. Available at: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy [Accessed 3/2026]. 
  • Artal R. 2016. Exercise in Pregnancy: Guidelines. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 59(3):639-644. 
  • Barakat R, Perales M. 2016. Resistance Exercise in Pregnancy and Outcome. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 59(3):591-599. 
  • Claiborne, A, et al. 2023. A narrative review of exercise dose during pregnancy. Birth Defects Res. 115(17):1581–1597. 
  • Clapp III JF, et al. 1999. Neonatal behavioral profile of the offspring of women who continued to exercise regularly throughout pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 180(1):91-94.  
  • Clapp III JF, et al. 2002. Continuing regular exercise during pregnancy: Effect of exercise volume on fetoplacental growth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 186(1):142-147. 
  • Cordero Y, et al. 2015. Exercise is associated with a reduction in gestational diabetes mellitus. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 47(7):1328-1333. 
  • Fly AD, et al. 1998. Major mineral concentrations in human milk do not change after maximal exercise testing. Am J Clin Nutr. 68(2):345-349. 
  • Kennelly MM, et al. 2002. Exercise-related changes in umbilical and uterine artery waveforms as assessed by Doppler ultrasound scans. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 187(3):661-666. 
  • Kennelly MM, et al. 2002. Fetal heart rate response to strenuous maternal exercise: not a predictor of fetal distress. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 187(3):811-816. 
  • Kołomańska-Bogucka D, Mazur-Bialy AI. 2019. Physical Activity and the Occurrence of Postnatal Depression-A Systematic Review. Medicina (Kaunas). 55(9):560.  
  • Lederman SA, et al. 1999. Maternal body fat and water during pregnancy: Do they raise infant birth weight? Am J Obstet Gynecol; 180(1):235-240. 
  • Gascoigne EL, et al. 2023. Physical activity and pregnancy outcomes: an expert review. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM; 5(1):100758. 
  • Gavard J & Artal R. 2008. Effect of Exercise on Pregnancy Outcome. Clin Obstet Gynecol; 51(2):467-480.  
  • Gregg VH & Ferguson JE. 2017. Exercise in Pregnancy. Clin Sports Med; 36(4):741-752. 
  • Greydanus DE & Patel DR. 2002. The female athlete. Before and beyond puberty. Pediatr Clin North Am. 49(3):553-580. 
  • Hicks LE, et al. 2025. Prenatal exercise and its effects on postpartum mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Womens Ment Health. 28(3):515-524. 
  • Madsen M, et al. 2007. Leisure time physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort. BJOG; 114(11):1419-1426. 
  • McLachlan ML, et al. 2026. Case Report: Hyperlactation and Sport Performance in an Elite Marathon Runner. Clin J Sport Med. Jan 22. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001399. Online ahead of print. 
  • Minguez-Alarcon L, et al. 2014. Physical activity is not related to semen quality in young healthy men. Fertil Steril. 102(4): 1103-1109.  
  • Moolyk AN, et al. 2025. Maternal and fetal responses to acute high-intensity resistance exercise during pregnancy. Br J Sports Med. 59(3):159-166.  
  • Mottola MF, et al. 2018. No. 367-2019. Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can; 40(11):1528-1537. 
  • Mussawar M, et al. 2023. The effect of physical activity on fertility: a mini-review. F S Rep; 4(2):150-158. 
  • Oxnard KL, et al. 2026. Patterns in exercise behaviour across pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study of physically active individuals from pre-conception to postpartum. Eur J Appl Physiol. Feb 25. doi: 10.1007/s00421-026-06160-6. Online ahead of print. 
  • Prevett C, et al. 2025. Resistance training in pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis of pregnancy, delivery, fetal and pelvic floor outcomes and call to action. Br J Sports Med. 59(16):1173-1182. 
  • Price BB, et al. 2012. Exercise in pregnancy: effect on fitness and obstetric outcomes-a randomized trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc; 44(12):2263-2269. 
  • Redondo-Delgado P, et al. 2025. Effects of strength training on quality of life in pregnant women: A systematic review. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 104(7):1231-1243. 
  • Saccone G, et al. 2026. Exercise in Pregnancy and Risk of Postpartum Depression: A Randomised Controlled Trial. BJOG. 133(2):211-217. 
  • Sanabria-Martínez G, et al. 2019. Effects of physical exercise during pregnancy on mothers’ and neonates’ health: a protocol for an umbrella review of systematic reviews and metaanalysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open; 9(9):e030162. 
  • Sobal J & Marquart LF. 1994. Vitamin/mineral supplement use among athletes: a review of literature. Int J Sport Nutr; 4(4):320-334. 
  • Sujan MJ, et al. 2025. Time restricted eating and exercise training before and during pregnancy for people with increased risk of gestational diabetes: single centre randomised controlled trial (BEFORE THE BEGINNING). BMJ. 390:e083398.  
  • Stafne SN, Salvesen et al. 2012. Regular exercise during pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 119(1):29-36. 
  • Tomic V, et al. 2013. The effect of maternal exercise during pregnancy on abnormal fetal growth. Croat Med J. 54(4):362-368. 
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2018. Physical activity guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: DHHS. Available at: https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/. [Accessed March 2026].  
  • Zourtadani A, et al. 2015. The effect of physical exercise on postpartum fitness hormone and lipid levels: a randomized controlled trial in primiparous, lactating women. Arch Gynecol Obstet 291(3): 525-530. 

 

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